User reviews

Ray (Elle Fanning) is a 16-year-old who was born as Ramona but has felt for years that he's a male inside a female body. As he tries to begin the medical transgender process, it will open up much family angst and discord. Additionally, because of his age, Ray will require the parental consent of his absentee father which will lead to more emotional upheaval and the uncovering of some hidden family secrets.

Although the film's heart may be in the right place, I thought the dialogue often came across as contrived, strident, and melodramatic, which made it a difficult watch for me. The movie does have a poignant and uplifting ending though.

All in all, although I felt for Ray, who seemed the only one who was not conflicted about what he wanted to do, the movie itself did not seem like the best of vehicles to bring transgender issues to the forefront.

Ray (Elle Fanning) wants to transition to being a boy. He's 16 and needs parental consent. His mother Maggie (Naomi Watts) has to track down his biological father. They live in NYC with Maggie's gay mother Dolly (Susan Sarandon) and her girlfriend Frances. Dolly would rather Ray be a lesbian.

This is tackling an advanced edgy issue. It needs some better writing. The actors are top notch. The story needs to move but it's stuck in molasses. The dream girl probably needs more screen time and played by someone more charismatic. Quite frankly, she needs to be played by somebody like Elle. Ray's flailing attempts at romance is the most compelling story opportunity. There could be love triangles and unrequited love. The bio dad is not that compelling. Despite any weakness in writing, the actors carry the heavy load well especially Elle.

A twisted complicated situation with moments of pure comedy. Elle Fanning is good!

I was baffled that neither the metascore nor the user rating was very high. So I read the reviews from both critics and users. And basically the criticism is that it doesn't focus more on Ray showing more of her struggle or her transformation even saying it lacks the focus on that.

So basically the movie get's blamed for not being what was expected. Well even if it isn't the first time this happened you can't do that. The movie is called "3 Generations" even showing the the three main characters not just one. A filmmaker can choose whatever he wants the focus to be and so she decided to show rays pain but also how the decision affects her mother her father and her grandmother as well.

So here are the facts. This is real good story with Sarandon, Watts and Fanning being at their best. How Fanning doesn't get awards nominations for this is beyond me. Since this already is a heavy emotionally loaded topping with a lot of pain, sorrow director Gaby Dellal as well as writer Nikole Beckwith wrote this very good and funny dialog. A banter between the three main characters that will put a smile on your face on many occasions. Great script, great actors and well directed make this a very touching and moving film.

It's a fascinating story about a fragile girl whose only desire is to be a boy and the ramifications this decision has on her family. Ella Fanning displays great teenage angst - throwing tantrums, manipulation, sarcasm, selfishness, it's all there.

Naomi Watts is the stand out, struggling to support her daughter's situation while juggling her own interesting relationships with her ex partners and mothers. Everyone performed their parts well, Susan Sarandon has a minimal presence throughout the film yet is memorable.

I'd have liked to have seen Ray/Ramona's mental instability addressed in the film as you never really understand why she wants to be a boy other than she's merely wanted it so since she was a little girl. Maybe that's all there is to it?

This film's generational awareness is a welcome change from the mainstream media's usual treatment of LGBTQ issues as different than other, traditional sexual concerns.

As a trans guy, I was trying really hard to relate to this character. Like really really hard since there are hardly any movies about the ftm experience. The actress really tried, but they just didn't seem to get it a lot of the time. Like when he said he wanted to be an astronaut instead of a princess or something. Those are gender roles, just because your child doesn't want to wear a dress doesn't mean they're trans. I also felt we didn't get to know much about Ray as a person. In the first part of the movie there were scenes at school and of him hanging out with friends, but it wasn't much. I wish we could have seen more of what his life was actually like instead of all the dad drama.

At least they fixed the ace bandages thing, thank god. I was already yelling at the screen but he got an actual binder. How he only just got that after having been out for years and how none of the therapists they talked to ever asked about it is another question.

Like everyone has already pointed out there was too much focus on the mom. I really liked her at first, but then she kept being so selfish and honestly immature at times.

I really wish they would have tried harder. I'm sure there are trans actors who would love to have played this role, who actually know what it's like.

This movie is not terrible. It's not unwatchable. But it's also not the amazing trans movie I've been looking for.

A memorable script, three unmemorable main performances. Without a doubt it is a fantastic story rich in power and encouragement to the transgender kids.

Very clearly a cis person who doesn't know much about trans people who thinks they know a lot about trans people's interpretation of what being trans is like. They never talked to a single actual trans person to create this film. It had potential but they ended up doing almost everything wrong and low key transphobic. If it was a play there is a 40% chance I would boo. Boo!

About Ray (3 Generations) had the potential to be something great. Im a trans teen myself and I have been waiting for this movie for a long time. unfortunately it missed the opportunity to address the struggles trans teens face. instead focusing on more traditional family drama and ray happened to be trans.... the writers missed a huge opportunity

About Ray is a fresh take on a family drama that most people can relate to in some way.

All families have their problems, and this family is no exception. They show a glimpse of what it is like to have to live in a body that you don't identify with and the complications that go with it.

It is a feel good movie that shows that family can overcome anything together, no matter how dysfunctional.

All of the lead actresses are amazing, and the set is really one of a kind.

Check it out.

Very disappointing despite very good acting performance from Fanning. Indeed, bunch of clichés, clumsy storyline, very week script make it hard to watch till the end. Furthermore, far from being and open-minded thoughtful movie about a very complex and sensitive issue, it turns out to be much to much right-minded in a very dull, binary way.

A great example of Hollywood letting kids be kids... Some of the actors were okay, but the director of this film must be giving his unbridled thoughts of young teenagers and the way they act...

Sat all the way through this, and was thoroughly disappointed...

Gaby Dallel's "3 Generations" drew criticism for the casting of a cisgender person in the role of a transgender character. While that is an issue, the movie itself is worth seeing. It shows how the different family members deal with the news that the daughter is transitioning to male. In fact, the lesbian grandmother has the hardest time dealing with it (I've noticed that a number of gays and lesbians, while fighting for their own rights, have ignored transgender rights).

I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but I think that it addresses some good issues. It's the sort of movie that could only get released in the 2010s, when understanding of gender-nonconforming people became widespread. I recommend it. I guess that the distribution by The Weinstein Company now looks unpleasant due to the ugly revelations about Harvey Weinstein, but that doesn't change the movie itself. Really good one. As expected, Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon all turn in fine performances.

Had potential to address the subject of gender identification and its challenges, but just turned out to drag on about dysfunctional family life. Usual matriarchal extended family substituting for divorced mom with a challenging daughter/son. Just droned on (and overacted), in that typical NY writing style, about unhappy households with their endless arguing. That region of the country has an unhealthy fixation with stereotypical rom/coms; drinking parties for singles or wannabe singles; dysfunctional families; hooking up with the emotional attachment of rabbits. Ending was rather hokey, everyone is at peace with each other. How nice! Kudos to Elle Fanning for how she presented her character.

The whole film is about a child who is privileged to have a home and food and clothes to wear. Personally I believe the "Ramona" character, she overdramatized the role. It seems like she's just immature and selfish. I haven't heard someone say "I" so much. I just hated her character. In any other country in the world she would be lucky to have this problems of I don't want to wear a dress. There's people who don't even have anything to wear at all. Rude story and rude characters.

This movie tackles a difficult subject very appropriate for today, with drama but also mild humor. The network of family this teen is growing in, is a diverse cross section of modern families. And though they are living a more progressive lifestyle, this goes to show how difficult this transition period can be for any family. With ties to a child's birth gender and realizing the changes that come with a decision to honor one's own feelings of who they are, families struggle no matter how open minded they may think they are. Or how imperfect they see themselves. This was done with amazing sensitivity to the fact that families are comprised in many different ways, showing the emotions that come when people choose to love, take risks and work towards supporting one another. This may become a cult film as the world catches up with this very real struggle, and the love that overcomes the fear.

While the review that is on the IMDb movie page about this movie is rather a persons feeing about the ending of a generation, of this family, that this movie should have explained that, I don't agree. This movie is about change, but also about love....the love you feel for your child, worry about their future, and how your (transgender) child will be accepted and able to cope in a world that is identity centric, and often negative toward LGBTQ? persons. The actors treated this difficult, controversial subject with love toward their now grandson-realistic feelings of confusion, worry, about their own acceptance of Ray, everyone's thoughts about Ray's identity crisis, his worry about acceptance, being able to start his life in a new situation as himself, rather than being known formerly as Ramona, then his change made his life difficult with the others at school, in his neighborhood. This subject was dealt with in a very realistic and loving way.